Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe

This Chicken Marsala recipe is not only crazy easy to make, it’s better than any fancy Italian restaurant!

Tender chicken breasts are browned and cooked in simple one-pan mushroom wine sauce! Perfect over pasta with crusty bread.

Chicken Marsala

What is Chicken Marsala? This Italian-inspired dish is very popular for good reason. Chicken in a mushroom wine sauce is quick to make and great over fresh pasta.

MARSALA
Marsala is a type of Sicilian fortified wine, similar to sherry or port. It is the base ingredient of the sauce in this recipe. Marsala comes in both sweet and dry versions (you want to buy dry Marsala for this recipe).

Other ingredients for Chicken Marsala include mushrooms, shallots (or onion), thyme, and butter.

CHICKEN BREASTS
The best Chicken Marsala uses chicken fillets. Chicken fillets are thin pieces of chicken breast that cook quickly and evenly.

If you have only whole chicken breasts, cut them in half lengthwise.

• Start with boneless, skinless breasts and your sharpest thin bladed knife.
• Using a paper towel, firmly grab and hold the thinnest end of the breast.
• Slice toward the thickest end, horizontally, so you wind up with two even halves.

How to Make Chicken Marsala

This easy recipe comes together in a few stages. Here’s all you do:

1. Pound chicken breasts to ¼ inch thickness and dredge in flour (per recipe below). Brown on the stovetop.
2. For Sauce: In the same pan (you want the flavor from all those browned chicken bits), add shallots or onions, thyme, and mushrooms.
3. Marsala Sauce: Add the Marsala wine and remaining sauce ingredients and reduce. Serve with the chicken.

This dish doesn’t traditionally contain cream however to make a creamy chicken marsala, substitute 1/3 cup of heavy cream for the same amount of chicken broth.

What to Substitute for Marsala

If possible, try to use marsala because, of course, any substitutions will change the flavors of the dish (although the below ideas will still be delish).

• Madeira wine
• sherry or port
• white wine

Crock Pot Directions

You can make a crock pot Chicken Marsala. You don’t even have to fillet the breasts for this version (in fact thicker or even bone in is better). Just place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for six.

Then make a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken the sauce, and serve over pasta, for a super yummy and easy dinner.

What to Serve With Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala sauce is very rich and flavorful, and a starch completes the meal perfectly. You can serve it over angel hair pasta to fill the plate.

Serve this creamy chicken marsala over pasta with a side of garlic bread and a big fresh Italian Salad.

To complete the presentation, plate it up with some roasted broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts. And don’t forget a crusty, rustic bread, or 30 Minute Dinner Rolls to sop up the sauce.

More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

• Baked Chicken Thighs – easy and juicy as can be
• Chicken Parmesan – classic Italian made easy
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas – so delicious!
• Chicken Lasagna – comfort food

Did you love this Chicken Marsala? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

4.98 from 49 votes

Review Recipe

Chicken Marsala

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 21 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Holly Nilsson

Easy Chicken Marsala is even better than what you would get in a fancy Italian restaurant, and a lot less expensive too! Ready in about 30 minutes.

Print RecipePin Recipe

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 chicken breasts boneless-skinless 5-6 oz each
• ▢ ½ cup flour
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon thyme
• ▢ 1 small shallot diced (or onion)
• ▢ 8 ounces mushrooms white or brown
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons flour
• ▢ ½ cup Marsala wine
• ▢ ¾ cup chicken broth
• ▢ 2 tablespoons parsley or chives for garnish

Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest

Instructions

• Pound chicken to ¼" thick (you can cut them in half if they're very large). Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
• Preheat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken and place on a plate.
• In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, thyme and shallot. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and cook 1 minute more.
• Add Marsala wine and broth and simmer about 3 minutes, until thickened and bubbly.
• Place chicken back into the pan and simmer 2-3 minutes or until hot.
• Garnish and serve over pasta.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 509, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 159mg, Sodium: 481mg, Potassium: 1111mg, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 410IU, Vitamin C: 10.1mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1.7mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword chicken marsala, chicken marsala sauce, how to make chicken marsala

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.